


I Promise

by Helen8462



Series: 500 Follower Giveaway [1]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Full Circle, Missing Scene, Prompt Fic, Relaunch Fic, Summer can be cold in Indiana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-12 17:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13551942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helen8462/pseuds/Helen8462
Summary: “Meet him there, Mark.  Tell him in person.  He loves her now as you once did.  She would have wanted it that way.”(Spoilers for the K. Beyer novel, "Full Circle")





	I Promise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arcadia75](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcadia75/gifts).



“How is she?”  


Phoebe Janeway took a deep breath of the cool night air and bowed her head.  “Well, she hasn’t cried yet.”

Mark scuffed the bottom of his shoe against the deck.  “Ah…”

She pulled on the screendoor handle and it opened with a protesting creak.  “Thank you for coming.  I know it’s late, but Mom insisted that I get you here tonight.”  

She took his hat and jacket, laying them on a bench in the entryway and then met him in a short, but sincere embrace.  Over her shoulder he saw that most of the main living space was dark, save for the light from a crackling fire.  It was an odd sight for mid-June, but this particular week had seen a chill in the air that dropped near freezing at night.  In hindsight, Mark could have foreshadowed the current pain in his heart by the sudden change in weather.

“And, how are you?”

“Oh…” Phoebe gritted her teeth.  “You really don’t want to ask me that.”

Together they walked into the living room of the Janeway matriarch’s home.  Mark had long-loved the house; it stood broad and strong with a lofted, timber ceiling and warm, natural light from large windows.  But tonight, the room took on a mournful personality.  It’s solitary occupant, a woman who had already seen more than her fair share of tragic evenings within, sat with her legs tucked up and under a blanket on the couch.

“Mark,” Gretchen breathed, looking up from her tea.  “Come here, won’t you?”

He did as she asked, taking a seat close beside her, placing a small kiss on her cheek.  She relinquished her mug to the table and he took her hands in his.  “Gretchen, I’m –”

“Don’t say it.  If you say it, then it’s real, and I just cannot –”

“Mom,” Phoebe interjected, from her spot against the wall.  “Being in denial isn’t going to make this any easier.”

Gretchen sighed.

“Phoebe, can I have a few minutes with your mother?” Mark asked politely.

The younger woman let out a slow breath.  “I’ll go make more tea.”

Gretchen leaned to the side and placed her head on his shoulder.  “You smell nice,” she said after a moment.  “That wife of yours does a good job with your laundry.”

At this he had to chuckle. “I’ll be sure to tell Carla you approve.”

She lifted her head to look him in the eye.  “You know I still think of you as my son, don’t you?  Even though you and Kathryn never…” her voice faded away.

“I’m honored.  You’re part of my family, too.”

“And you know that there were never any hard feelings when you and Carla got married.”

“I know that, Gretchen.” He squeezed her hand.  “You’ve always been supportive.”

“Okay.  Just making sure.  Things are liable to turn stressful come tomorrow.  I didn’t want there to be any doubt.”

“I’ve been well-trained in the art of swallowing Janeway-family scorn,” he chided, glancing back to the kitchen.  “But really, I’m here to help.  Is there anything I can do?  Anything at all that you need?”

Mark watched her stare off into the firelight for a moment, collecting her thoughts.  “You can answer something for me.”

“I can try.”

“Why doesn’t it hurt as much this time?”  She shook her head.  “I think that it should.”

He drew his lip between his teeth.  “I think… we made our peace, once.  We’ve practiced letting go.  It’s no reflection on the depth of our love if this time is somehow easier.”

“This time it’s final.  She’s not coming back.”

He looked to the floor. “No.  She’s not.”

“Mark,” Phoebe said, padding softly back into the room with two steaming mugs.  “Mom was going to ask if you would do something for us.  It’s… well, it’s more of a favor for Kath, actually.”

“Anything.  You know that.”

She handed him one of the drinks and sat on the edge of an adjacent, overstuffed chair.  “I’ve been trying to contact  _Voyager._   But with everything that’s been going on…”

“Chakotay,” Mark breathed, his eyes growing wide.  “I’d forgotten.  It’ll be near impossible to get ahold of him until they’re planet-side.”

“Do you think he’s already heard?” Gretchen asked.

“I doubt it,” Phoebe said, taking a sip.

“There’ve been so many casualties, and the cleanup effort is massive,” Mark agreed.  “I doubt anyone would be able to keep up with the reports. Plus he’s just getting back to the system, not expecting her to be mixed up in this.”

“I don’t want him to see it in a report,” Gretchen said, her eyes pleading.  “It’s not how you found out.  It’s not how anyone should find out.”

“I know, and I was very grateful.”  He recalled for a moment the image of Gretchen years before when she commed him wide-eyed and furious that her daughter had been declared dead with no true evidence to support the claim.  Though he’d never asked, he wondered now if this was how the news was broken to her about Edward’s passing.

“When we spoke a few weeks ago, Kath told me that she was going to meet him in a café in Venice. I can’t remember the name, but I’ll check the record.  If Chakotay doesn’t know already, he’ll be there tomorrow night.”

Gretchen looked up and her eyes welled with fresh tears.  “Meet him there, Mark.  Tell him in person.  He loves her now as you once did.  She would have wanted it that way.”

“I will.  I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> I recently reached 500 followers on Tumblr and offered gift-ficlets to my readers. This is for @arcadia1995. She asked for a great many things, namely something with Mark, Phoebe or Gretchen (ha, you get them all!) / relaunch / Did Mark simply draw the short straw with regards to being the bearer of bad news? / What did they all know about J/C in the months post Proxima Station? Phew. Hope you liked it, dear!


End file.
